About gypsy woman

I must have gypsy ancestors, I have always had the urge to travel. The sound of a plane passing overhead, sitting in a train watching the world whizz by, wondering what is around the next corner or over the next hill, all these things stir my blood and make me restless.

Brief biography of my life so far……

What a cute, cuddly baby...

I was born in the 1940’s in Yorkshire, England.

A horse crazy child I loved all sport and the outdoors.

A teenager in the 1950’s Revelling in this new era of rock ‘n roll. I still loved horses and farming was my work choice.

At Agricultural College I met the man who was to become my husband. At the young and naive age of 19 I flew to New Zealand on my own to join and to marry him. The 1960’s was a decade of nesting, the birth of our 2 beautiful children and milking cows.

Just one of 250 cows to be milked twice a day.

1970’s we separated and I was on my own, in New Zealand, with 2 young children aged 8 and 10. Now in my 30’s with no family support but a deep love of New Zealand and strong circle of friends.

I moved to a pig farm and became a maternity mother for 600+ sows and their offspring.

Feeding one of my favourite pigs

After 4 years it was time to find something that was not so physically hard and not so smelly. I took on door to door commission selling of brushware.

Door to door selling brushes on commission.

After 3 years my little mini van needed repairing or replacing, so I found a job with a car supplied.

Working for Milestone Photography was my next career change. Setting up the camera and backdrops in shopping centres I took portraits of hundreds of babies and young children, interspersed with Monday and Tuesday sessions at schools taking class group photos as well as individuals. I now had a group of friends who were solo Mums and we would go to Saturday night dances and it was at one of these that I met the man who was to change my life; 3 months later I had moved in with him and 28 years later we are still together.

Through the 1980’s and 90’s it was when I was once again able to follow my dreams and start travelling. Jack was also an enthusiastic traveller and we visited many countries together. Due to Jack’s work commitments I also went to some places on my own.

With Jack I went to many of the Southeast Asia countries, and Australia was a favourite country to visit. On my own I went to India, and travelled through China, Mongolia, Siberia, Russia, East and West Europe on the Trans Mongolian Express to get to England. Later Jack joined me there and then we travelled round America using the money I had saved working as a house keeper for Douglas Bunn at Hickstead

Between travelling I worked at many and various jobs to earn money to travel again. Real Estate agent, Advertising rep for the North Shore Times local paper in Auckland, Property manager with 80 properties to look after, housekeeper of a 9 story medical student hostel, manager of a mobile “Spring Clean Company” , sandwich maker. I was now in my 50’s but never had any trouble finding a job when I arrived back in Auckland after yet another travel adventure.

Jack had now retired and wanted to return to Australia, the land of his birth. I was a bit apprehensive as to if I could live in the hot and humid climate of Queensland. But I quickly became used to it and grew to really love this country with its laid back life style and beach culture. We bought a house on the Goldcoast and soon made a circle of friends.

We still did some travelling but being retired means having to keep to a strict budget. Then health problems cropped up but now we are bounced back again and that brings you to the start of this blog with a dream to see more of this huge country…

A traveling gypsy I guess and how wonderful that you have and still yearn for more. I will never travel in that way but I do love to visit others’ sites such as yours and in that way I see the world in the beauty of their observations. I shall have a look around.

Thank you Renee for dropping by I hope you enjoy sharing a part of my life. I do still like the thought of travelling, but age does put a restriction on ability and energy. So just short jaunts these days

My daughter was searching for a photo of fingal head for a school project, and came across one of your photos – the one of the two girls exploring around the rocks. As it happens, my two daughters (now aged 17 and 13) are the two girls exploring around the rocks, and my eldest daughter and I are two of the ‘bikini clad girls’ swimming in winter! What wonderful memories and a very special place.

Hi Linda, what a lovely connection to hear from you. I remember that photo outing it was a lovely day. Would you like a copy of the photo? If you send your email I will send you one. Thank you for commenting.

Hi there! I’m a Journalist at Caravan & Motorhome on Tour, I was wondering if we could feature your image of the Twin Gums Caravan Park in our magazine? We’d credit the image to you, of course. It’s for a Feature Article we will be working on until the 10th of March 2017. Have a great day and chat soon!

Kind regards,

Jazmin Malcolm
Features Writer | Social Media Manager
Caravan and Motorhome on Tour

I really do have Romany ancestors. My great grandfather was a horse trader and he and his numerous clan wandered all over Hungary and Eastern Europe in the late 19th century.One of his sons learned to read and write and a priest got him into a good Jesuit Academy and then he went to a military college and became an artillery officer in the Austro-Hungarian army. He was a dashing man, an expert horseman, with dark hair and big brown eyes and he could play many musical instruments, dance and sing. He married a Hungarian heiress and their son, my father, studied at the University of Berlin and came to America in 1923. I was not told about my Romany heritage until I was an adult and I had become a musician, and people who knew all told me that I had “that Gypsy fire” But I could not go back to distant Romany relatives, too many generations had passed and I would always be an outsider there. But I am NOT wholly a Gadji and I would never want to be one.

I am a retired musician, an old lady, and no, I dont have a “blog” I do very little with computers and just happened upon your column. But you are right about inheritance. My daughter, now 50, is completely American but she became an expert horsewoman Lachko Drom to everyone from Cassandra, la gitana escondida.

I am very pleased you found my blog and shared some of your story with me. I think genetics certainly steer your life, and pass through to the next generation. My 52 year old is, at present, doing the Mt Everest base camp trek…

I hope your 52 year old gets off that mountain ALIVE. Everest is being wrecked by too many people; and it is littered with their discarded gear, even their bodily wastes. But I suppose that climbing it is a better outlet for misplaced human ambition than shooting animals for trophies.

Hello, I just found your blog by accident. I describe myself as a floating gypsy – my husband and I live on our yacht and spend the summer floating around the Greek Islands. I have a wanderlust bug too. I’ve lived in 44 different places (Greece counts as one) and I’ve been to 16 educational establishments. My father was in the RAF all his life and when I was young, we moved overseas a lot. I’ve been to Australia too my mum emigrated there, without us, and lived in Brisbane. I took my son out there on holiday after she died. I look forward to following your adventures.

What an interesting life you’ve had. Are you still at the Gold Coast? I was born in Toowoomba, at age 40 went out into the world and stayed away 10 years. Now back living in Brisbane. Great blog you have.

Wow, what an amazing and challenging life you’ve led! I too was born under a wandering star, but there were many decades that I wasn’t able to venture very far due to bringing up the family.

My He-Man isn’t the wanderer I am so I’ve traveled alone too or with friends.

I’ve not been to Australia. He-Man went for business and was there for 2 whole weeks! I was at home with two small children then and no family to keep them, so couldn’t go. 😦 I really, really wanted to go too!
It’s on my bucket list!

He was in Sydney. Since it was a working trip for him he only had evenings, and two week-ends for sight-seeing.
He rented a car and drove up the coast, and went to a Koala reserve, and saw other things. Those all I remember at the moment.
I’d love to be able to come for a long visit. Maybe one day. 🙂

I am always quietly proud when people tell me they love Australia and want to live there. I’m living in Japan now, but do miss the Aussie lifestyle. I might be biased but Qld is the best state to live in 😉
Is that North Stradbroke Island in your banner image?

You’ve had an adventurous life! I also was a horse-lover when I was a young girl, and I still love them now but am not at all involved with them. I do love travel, just like you do. I’m interested to see that you traveled to Mongolia. I’m trying to decide where to go when I leave China and I was considering that country. What do you think? By the way, is your name Pauline? 🙂 What is the “pommepal?”

I think many young girls went through a horsey stage. Like you I still love them, they are magnificent animals, but it’s been a long time since I had any thing to do with them. here is a story about my horse mad years… https://memoriesaremadeofthisblog.wordpress.com/2012/11/06/a-word-a-week-photo-challenge-love/
I travelled through Mongolia in 1989 and only stopped of briefly, for 2 days in Ulaanbaatar. Back then it was very un developed, the food was awful and I think it would be very difficult to stay there for very long. I think there would be more interesting places to choose.
Yes my name is Pauline and I chose Pommepal for my user name as a “pomme” is Aussie slang for English people (Prisoners Of Mother England) and I just liked the flow of pommepal.

Oh YES~~~ NZ is a little paradise, I love it, I lived there approx. 40 years and am going back to visit my son and daughter in 4 weeks time. I noticed that Auckland has been named the 3rd best city in the world to live in…

It was an amazing year, then we also spent the next 3 years doing more 4-6 month trips. I did blog about the trip as I went around but looking back on those posts they are a bit patchy, not much detail. Time and internet connections was the problem. But now I have plenty of photos and material for challenge posts…

We did travel on a pension, lots of freedom travel, couch surfing, Woofing and house sitting to make the budget go further. It is surprising how cheaply you can travel if you are prepared to rough it a bit, and that is my favourite way to travel I am certainly not a 5 star traveller

That’s great, Pauline, that you were able to stretch your budget and to travel for such an extended period. I’m not very good at that. I’m not a 5 star traveler, but I do like some of my comforts, and I especially value my privacy (in other words, I’m not sure couch surfing or shared rooms in hostels work for me). House sitting sounds good though. 🙂

I am so honoured that you have included me in the Sisterhood DJ I admire your photography work and it was interesting to read more about you. I do appreciate that you thought of me with this award, but at the moment I do not participate in awards.

I don’t think I could live back in the UK either now though I enjoy visiting. I came here in my late 20’s so am a sort of English/Australian hybrid now! Our younger daughter has typically decided she wants to live in Europe so left last month and is now in London – I’d be surprised if she’s back any time soon! Our elder daughter is married with a 20 month old daughter and lives in Perth – she’s visited Europe a few times but has no desire to live there. I’ll be shuttling between continents but my base will always be Perth – can’t see that changing now!

I enjoyed reading about your life. Sounds like you’ve experienced a lot of different jobs. I’ve always had the same job but I took on lots of part-time jobs (delivering flowers and selling clothes, make-up, needlecraft kits at home parties) when I was home with the kids. I need to try new things all the time. I’m looking forward to following your blog and learning more about Western Australia. Cheers, Carol

G’day MC welcome to my corner of the blogosphere thank you for leaving a comment. I have had a lot of jobs and enjoyed them all. I believe variety is the spice of life, but now I am retired I’m enjoying this time of my life too. I hope you enjoy your visit to WA with me.

Hi there Gypsy woman, I have only been to Australia once for a couple of weeks, not nearly long enough! What a treat to now discover more of the country through a pair of eyes like yours. Cheers from Belgium, Tine

You’re so fascinating! I hope to do with my jeep what you’ve done with your Toyota! Travel all around Australia and many other countries (I’m Canadian). I’ve started with my own country and will progress from there. Can’t wait to read more of your blog!

I’m starting local, touring my own continent first and I hope to one day spend a year in Australia & surrounding area/countries with… with a green jeep! I won’t bring mine, but will likely buy one in Australia for the year 🙂 I’m still working full time though so current adventures have to happen in bits and pieces. If you ever make it to Canada, be sure to let me know!

I know you will love Australia it is a great country for road tripping. and I love your green jeep. I think I have left it too late for Canada I am now on a pension and 73. The age is not a barrier but the money is… 😦

I finally have realized in the past year, that I am a gypsy at heart, I have hunted, searched, and wondered why I was never content, wondering why this earth was so big for me to live in such a small small city,I enjoyed your story! My life is a work in progress now that I know which direction to go….

Wow..So nice to actually see a “life-line up” like that:).. I always felt like a gypsy as well, like the lifestyle of roaming around the globe, without a permanent base. I am still working towards it, paying of debt, so I can do it full time. Travelling is so worth it:)

G’day, thanks for calling in and leaving a comment. Travel is so addictive and you will reach your goal. A good book to read is “Female Nomad” by Rita Golden Gelmanhttp://www.ritagoldengelman.com/ it really inspired me

Hi Pauline, Happy New Year to you and Jack. After seeing you both a few days before Christmas at the beach, I went home and told my wife, Jo. She reminded me that we ran into Jack the previous Christmas day on the beach at North Burleigh. Jack is like Santa Claus always showing up at Christmas time. Happy and safe travels throughout 2014.
Cheers,
Andrew

Congradulations! I have just nominated you for the Best Moment Award! I nominated your blog because of your AWESOME photos and writing. You have shared so many BEST MOMENTS with your blog readers and you really deserve this nomination. This link will take you to my award post and give you an idea of what to do next. http://thebelmontrooster.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/my-best-moment-award/. Good luck and best wishes!

It’s Pam from travelling bag here – I’m having HUGE problems with my site at the moment. I seem to have lost all followers. Could you please let me know if you got my post this morning named ‘Confusion’. Thanks.

Hello Gypsy lady! You certainly have had a varied life, and I’m glad to have met you here. Jack put me on to your blog as he reads my bits and bobs from time to time. I wrote about having a great partner, and he mentioned your great relationship! I can see why he admires you! Thanks for the great intro. Yaz

Aha, tracked you down to discover that you are both an Aussie and a Brit and a New Zealander to boot! I am a little behind you in the decades, but not so far, and also a Yorkshire lass who left the country at a similar age. Must be something in that Yorkshire water 🙂

Unlike you though I returned to the UK in the mid ’80s and have never managed to leave since (permanently that is, not as in holidays) despite desperately wanting to emigrate to Australia. I do have a son and granddaughter in Sydney though, and he has a NZ partner so we do have a few things in common, not to mention a love of travel. I shall definitely have a poke around your blogs and thank you for visiting mine. Great to discover you!
Jude xx

We used to live in Warrington which is near Dunedin. I look forward to following your blog and hope you will check mine out and see if any of the categories ( expats, Latin America, nature and writing) interest you. I like to think of myself as a global nomad.

G’day! Chee that’s annoying – thanks for telling me. I guess my privacy is being protected when I don’t want it to be ( but not v.v. !) I haven’t been blogging very long however so suppose I’m not so savvy. My URL is http://cindamackinnon.wordpress.com Cheers, Cinda

After your initial visit to my blog I backtracked to your blog to take a peek. That’s how I find new people with interesting blogs. Your casual photography is well done and after reading your introductory story about yourself I can see you’re no stranger to photography. I like your casual style of posting, with interesting local stories accompanied by timely photographs. I’ve bookmarked your site and plan to follow your exploits as time permits. Thanks for getting the ball going. – Bob

Hi there! I am so glad to have stumbled across your blog! A real treasure! Inspiring, and touching. I loved to read your history and see your older photos, to understand more. Am still looking through your amazing postings. I am very new to blogging, and have had my eyes opened to how people use it. I am inspired to start a new blog! A great way to keep treasured memories safe and in one place! I am following you.
Blessings to you on your travels. Kath (mum of Alfie) x

G’day Kath welcome to my world it is very encouraging when other bloggers leave comments. You and Alfie are an inspiration, you are so positive. I send you best wishes for a complete recovery.
Blogging is very addictive and the community of other bloggers from all over the world and the interaction with them through comments makes it so interesting. Welcome to this fascinating cyberspace community

I enjoyed reading your biography. What an interesting journey life’s taken you on, and it appears still unfolding to you.
Thank you for stopping by and commenting on my blog. I’m happy to have found your.

Hello, I found you through the forum as you have the same problem as I have with the loss of the little arrows that show that we have replied to commenters. I like what I read and you have a new follower! 🙂

Very strange things happening… a tick has suddenly appeared on an answer from yesterday but no joy today after working through suggestions so am going back to the support again. Oh the joys of computing:( and it has been going good for months till a couple of days ago. How are you getting on?

G’day and thanks for dropping by and leaving me a comment. Like you say in your post I always wonder how to answer the question “where are you from?” I often say “Goldcoast” just to get their reaction from my accent… Lol

What a fantastic life story! And you’re still going strong! I loved reading about you and your working/travelling life. So much you must have to tell and what great company you must be. So much experience and wisdom! I would have loved to meet you in real life. And great that you two are still together.

Thank you for those lovely words. I do feel blessed with the life I have had, and am still having. I am especially pleased with the advent of tecnology and how we can all share our lives and experiences with the power of WordPress. Like a modern version of the old penpal, but in instant time. I love my blogosphere “community” Thank you for calling in

G’day Gail just been for a browse around your blog. We are almost neighbours. Isn’t WP an amazing institution the way it brings people together from all over the world? What an interesting life you have had, hope to read about some of it as I follow your WP journey

Hey, I love reading your blog and have nominated you for The Very Inspiring Blogger Award! Please check out my blog for details, post the award on your sidebar and spread the love to some of your favorite bloggers!

Thank you for passing on this award, it is a real honour to be recognised in this way. I enjoy following your very informative blog and you deserve this award and I will be passing it on in the near future

What an awesome and amazing life you have led so far! You must be one amazing and resilient lady, not to mention very hard working. I really enjoyed this post, and so look forward to reading your blog.

Thank you for passing on this award to me, it is a real pleasure to be recognised by other bloggers that I admire for their work. It is an award that you have really deserved as your photos and blog content are always so artistic

What a great blog to find on a typical miserable monday morning in UK 🙂 Great stories and photos – I’m feeling brighter already reading about your travels and life so far !
We had stayed a night @ a campsite in Townsville some years back … OH MY the humidity … a night to remember for all the wrong reasons …

Thank you for such a lovely comment. Pleased you hopped aboard for the journey. Yes Townsville and north can get very humid from now on, through to about April. Even here on the Goldcoast can get sticky hot during summer

WOW, what a wonderful life history so far and from the sounds of it plenty more to squeeze in. I’d love to have the freedom to up sticks and travel around the world. At the moment I drag my husband to the same places time after time because its something we know and easy to accommodate our son with Autism. However next year we are thinking of just going to France in a remote village and renting a cottage or villa for a couple of weeks. I’ve told him as long as our children are independent enough when they grown up (which I’m sure they will be 🙂 ) then once they’ve flown the nest we can go where ever we choose. Singapore, Malaysia, Berlin… we’re going to see the world – eventually 🙂

What a wonderful life so far and more to come! My great grandmother Soltana was of gypsy orirgins so I know for sure where I got my travel bug. My grandfather and mother had/have it as well. The traveling life is the life for me!
Cheers,
Cindy

Wow Eleenie thank you I am always so pleased when I get “likes” and comments. To get an award is overwhelming. I appreciate you following and enjoying the journey with us. I will check out the conditions and have fun putting it together.

I tried to comment on your Black Mountains post – but my silly computer is playing up and won’t let me 😦

The drive from Cairns to Cooktown is amazing. No people or houses in sight for miles and miles and then you see a backpacker riding a bike and think ‘how long have they been riding!?’. I love that drive 🙂

I think comments are turned off after a certain time so it may not be your computer.It amazes me how many biking people we have seen on the road during this recent trip. I really admire them, wish I had been fit enough to do it when I was younger…

I found your blog because of a comment you made on emilyluxton and I’m so glad that I did! I share your love of travel and was just in beautiful Gold Coast in February of this year. I look forward to reading your posts. Minou

This was really interesting. Thanks for giving us a brief history of your life. I’m always amazed at how all the things we do in life add up to a pretty good story – you’ve encouraged me to write something on my own life. You seem to just keep on keeping on. Good on you.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog! Yours looks quite fascinating, especially as I have a great mate now in Sydney who’s always threatening to pack me in her suitcase & bring me home with her. Like you, I don’t know how I’d do in the heat & humidity. NZ might be more my style, and living in California during my 40’s & 50’s got me used to earthquakes… if one can ever get used to the ground moving beneath one’s feet instead of vice versa! Cheers!

Vow, I am already nostalgic reading your story. It must have been quite a journey. The pics of your younger days, esp the one milking the cow is amazing. Was great to have you on my blog. I am a travel photographer & writer and you can view my posts at http://www.bhavenjani.wordpress.com. cheers, Bhaven

” Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways – Champagne in one hand – chocolate in the other – body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming “WOO HOO, What a Ride! ”

Gypsy blood indeed, not just the desire to trravel, but I recognise a desire not to be labelled either, all those things we are capable of doing/being, but the one that really stands out and would be a bestseller I am sure is the ‘Finding myself a Single Mother, I decide to adopt 600 pigs’. That’s a story many would find pretty incredible.

the web site is it is a great site. House sitters pay $55 for a years subscription and then choose the areas you are interested in and they send you up dates of the sits as they come in. I found that having a blog that home owners could read about us gave us an edge on getting the sits. We where told that each house gets lots of replies. It would be ideal for you when you are on the road full time as it gives you a break and in our case a bit of room to spread out from Matilda for a few weeks… Good luck, I am enjoying following your blog.

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60 something female, ( now 70 I have been doing this blog 3 years) fit and active, loves travel, reading, walking. Born in Yorkshire, UK. Moved to New Zealand, love the country. Became a "Kiwi" lived there 37 years, son and daughter still live there. Moved to Australia because I now live with and love an Australian that I met in NZ and am now an Aussie citizen.